The UK will trial Eli Lilly's weight loss drugs to combat unemployment.

• Eli Lilly, a prominent U.S. pharmaceutical company, is considering the potential of employing obesity medications to tackle unemployment following a significant financial commitment in the U.K.
• The American pharmaceutical company responsible for the popular obesity injection Zepbound declared on Monday that it would invest £279 million ($364 million) to address the UK's pressing health issues.
• The Eli Lilly deal involves a "real-world" investigation into the effects of its weight-loss medications on "employment status and sick days" of participants, in addition to other factors.

The U.S. pharmaceutical giant is considering using obesity drugs to reduce unemployment following a significant investment deal with the U.K.

The weight-loss treatment firm, creator of Zepbound, announced on Monday that it would invest £279 million ($364 million) to address Britain's significant health issues, including obesity.

The strategic collaboration between the U.K.'s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was part of a £63 billion package of investments announced at the Labour government's inaugural International Investment Summit on Monday.

The Eli Lilly deal will involve a "real-world" study to investigate the effects of tirzepatide, the GLP-1 treatment used in Zepbound and Mounjaro drugs, on weight loss, diabetes prevention, and obesity-related complications, in order to guide the National Health Services' treatment of obesity.

The five-year trial, in partnership with Health Innovation Manchester, will investigate the effects of weight-loss drugs on "employment status and sick days from work," according to a press release from the company.

Lilly's collaboration with Professor Rachel Batterham will contribute to the evidence base on the real-world impact of obesity treatments on the health of people with obesity, and will investigate a wide range of outcomes, including health-related quality of life and employment status.

Wes Streeting, the U.K.'s Health and Social Care Minister, stated that the partnership is crucial for creating a healthier society, a healthier economy, and ensuring the NHS's future sustainability.

The U.K. faces a persistent problem with "economic inactivity," which refers to individuals who are neither employed nor actively seeking employment. Approximately one-third of claims for this category are due to long-term sickness, including pre-existing health conditions such as obesity, which has been exacerbated by Covid.

In an article in the Telegraph on Monday, Streeting stated that "widening waistbands" had put a "significant burden" on the NHS and the economy, and was costing the health service £11 billion annually.

""Obesity-related illnesses cause people to take an average of four extra sick days per year and force many others out of work, thereby hindering our economy," he stated."

The jabs could be "monumental" in addressing obesity and encouraging people to return to work, but Streeting emphasized that the NHS cannot always be relied upon to cover the costs of unhealthy lifestyles.

The DHSC confirmed that the minister's comments accurately represent the government's stance.

Over the past few months, the number of use cases for obesity drugs has increased, with various drug regulators broadening the labels of GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity-related comorbidities and other illnesses.

Last week, on CNBC, Peter Verdault, a pharmaceuticals analyst at Citigroup, stated that the evidence supporting the increased use of weight-loss drugs continues to accumulate.

Some medical professionals raised concerns about linking health treatments to economic outcomes.

Dr Dolly van Tulleken, a visiting researcher at the MRC epidemiology unit at the University of Cambridge and specialist in obesity policy, stated on BBC Radio 4's Today program on Tuesday that there are serious ethical, financial, and efficacy considerations with an approach that focuses on measuring people based on their potential economic value rather than primarily on their needs and health needs.

Eli Lilly will establish its first "Lilly Gateway Labs" innovation accelerator in Europe to support early-stage life sciences businesses in developing transformative medicines and technologies.

The company expects to invest an additional £279 million in the U.K. in the future.